A Cuban man now living in Santiago, Chile, recently stirred up painful memories of the 'Special Period' by sharing a childhood experience that resonated with many of his compatriots: he used to follow foreign tourists to collect candy and gum wrappers they discarded.
He had never actually tried chewing gum; it was the wrappers he collected.
"My daughter doesn't believe me," says Johnny Blandón González at the start of a video he posted on Instagram, as he recounts a pastime that became a form of entertainment for many Cuban children in the 1990s.
"When I was a child in Cuba, around 1991, since we didn't have these kinds of treats, we kids would chase after tourists and collect these candy wrappers," he explains.
The wrappers were stored in notebooks and traded among kids like collectible cards. The value wasn't in what they once held—since trying those products was nearly impossible for many—but in their vibrant colors, unique designs, and even the lingering scent they retained.
"That was our fun as kids in Cuba. When tourists threw away candies they could afford, we collected them. And of course, I never tasted any of it; it was just for collecting," he reminisces.
One particular detail from that childhood remains vivid in his memory: the smell of the wrappers.
"I used to sniff the gum wrappers, and that foreign scent was something I loved. I had never tried a piece of gum," he confessed.
Decades later, even within his own family, the memory is hard to convey. His daughter, raised in a completely different reality, couldn't believe this was part of her father's childhood.
But for numerous Cubans who watched the video, the story was entirely relatable.
The post sparked a flood of comments from people who confirmed they had done exactly the same thing during their childhood in Cuba.
"As a Cuban here, I confirm I also had my collection in the early '90s. The fun was trading wrappers with other kids. What a degrading misery we lived," one user wrote.
Another comment highlighted the peculiar value these wrappers held among children: "If they kept their scent, they were worth more when trading."
A third Cuban recalled searching through trash for wrappers outside a store that sold items in dollars.
"Back then, no Cuban could afford even a piece of gum. It's pretty much the same now; the misery has always been with us," another remarked.
Even someone who visited Cuba in 1990 shared an even more extreme memory from those years: some Cuban women, he said, would ask him not to throw away gum after chewing it so they could save it and reuse it later with sugar.
"I don't know what you all think, but what they did to us is beyond words," Blandón González reflected, criticizing the Cuban regime.
In his view, that crisis has never truly ended.
"We are still in the 'Special Period' because that period never ends in Cuba," he asserted.
Understanding the 'Special Period' in Cuba
What was the 'Special Period' in Cuba?
The 'Special Period' was a time of economic crisis in Cuba that began in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had been Cuba's main ally and economic supporter. The crisis led to severe shortages of food, fuel, and other basic goods.
Why did Cuban children collect candy wrappers during the 'Special Period'?
During the 'Special Period', many Cuban families could not afford basic goods, including candy. Children collected wrappers for their colors, designs, and scents, as a form of entertainment and escapism from the harsh realities of their economic situation.
Is the 'Special Period' still affecting Cuba?
Many Cubans believe that the economic hardships of the 'Special Period' have not fully ended and that similar challenges persist today, as the country continues to face economic difficulties and shortages.